Picks up indeed.

[It's said lightly, more as a means of pausing before he heads into a difficult topic.]

You've been... You've... There's... Sorry.

[Anders takes a breath and gets himself together.]

All my life, what I've most cared about has been used against me. And so I've told no one about the man made Tranquil to get at me.

[He meets her eyes. He's deliberately not saying Karl's name because he doesn't want something like that to be overheard.]

But people know. And mention you as talking about him.

[There's no anger in his voice, just hesitation and strain.]

Have you been?